May 2022

The IUCN SSC Chair’s Office and Oryx are delighted to announce the SSC–Oryx Partnership Fund, which will cover the open access publication costs of 11 articles authored by SSC members.

Join the next Reverse the Red webinar, co-hosted by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. This seminar will feature a lively discussion on how National Red Lists can be used to understand the extinction threats faced by species, how they inform actions, policies and decisions to conserve species and how they will help countries to monitor their progress against the new monitoring framework indicators being proposed for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

Wednesday 1 June 2022, 9:00 AM EST

More than one in five reptiles are threatened with extinction, according to the Global Reptile Assessment published on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The research also revealed that efforts to conserve other animals have likely helped protect many reptile species.

Photo: Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) © PSAnand

Interested in how species conservation can be enhanced by improved disease control? Join wildlife experts and members of the IUCN Species Survival Commission in a session that aims to promote peer-to-peer learning within and across regions.

Detecting and managing wildlife diseases
Thursday 2 June via Zoom
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM CEST

The IUCN SSC March 2022 Quarterly Report is online. This edition includes an announcement about the establishment of the Biodiversity and Family Planning Task Force, a joint initiative of the Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) and IUCN Species Survival Commission.

The latest IPCC report has sobering conclusions on the rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future. Taking this as point of reference, the IUCN Commission Chairs' issued a statement calling on all parties involved in the Convention on Biological Diversity to conserve at least 30% of the planet with effectively and equitably protected and conserved areas.

The IUCN SSC Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group has produced three webinars, on "Operation Barusan Shama", "People: plague or remedy for the Asian Songbirds? Tackling Asian songbird crisis through community engagement" and "Song in the forest: using field research to better understand the Asian Songbird Crisis".

The Specialist Group has also published an updated Priority Taxa List. This highlights the songbird taxa most threatened by trade in Asia, so they can be prioritised for future conservation interventions, research and funding.

The latest GECS News presents stories of dedication and commitment of GECS members that deserve to be recognised and celebrated. This edition also features articles on animal welfare criteria for sustainable management in shearing wild guanacos, and “Conservation and Management of the Vicuña due to the increasing number of epidemic outbreaks of sarcoptic mange”.

The IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Specialist Group has launched a new quarterly newsletter. There have been four issues to date, covering the group's work on human-wildlife conflict and coexistence. Subscribe here.

Perspectives on Human-Wildlife Coexistence

The Specialist Group also published a briefing paper that explains its perspectives on human-wildlife coexistence, outlining its scope, complexities, key characteristics and approaches to coexistence.

Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Case Studies

In collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, the Specialist Group held its first webinar in a new Learning in Practice webinar series. The webinar was on the engagement and ethics of working with communities via a discussion of three case studies from Guyana, India, and Tanzania that have now been published.

What image comes to mind when you hear the term wildlife health professional? This ZSL Science and Conservation event showcased the diverse set of roles wildlife health professionals trained by the collaborative initiative 'The Wildlife Health Bridge' have gone on to fill. It highlighted the impact these professionals have had on the wider world of wildlife health over the past twenty-five years and highlighting why they are needed now more than ever.

The next WildTeam online training workshops are available for booking:

Grant Writing for Wildlife Conservation
Wednesday 6 July to Wednesday 17 August (4 hours learning/week)
Live sessions start on Wednesday 13 July

Stakeholder Engagement for Wildlife Conservation
Tuesday 2 August to Tuesday 6 September 2022 (3 hours learning/week)
Live sessions start on Tuesday 9 August

Project Management for Wildlife Conservation
Wednesday 17 August - Wednesday 28 September (3.5 hours learning/week)
Live sessions start on Wednesday 24 August

Strategy Development for Wildlife Conservation
Thursday 25 August - Thursday 6 October 2022 (4 hours learning/week)
Live sessions start on Thursday 1st September

The European Bison Conservation Center (EBCC) and the IUCN SSC Bison Specialist Group (BSG) co-published a new report on the ecology and status of the European bison (Bison bonasus). 

Read the news story and the report.

Focuses on 50 species – five each of amphibians, birds, crustaceans, fish, fungi, insects, mammals, molluscs, plants, and reptiles – this report emphasises the urgent need for freshwater species conservation, and highlights species from across the taxonomic spectrum that we are set to lose unless urgent action is taken to alleviate threats.

Read the press release and the report.

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) has published a landmark State of the World’s Trees report. The report, compiling work led by the Global Tree Assessment (GTA), is the culmination of five years of research to identify major gaps in tree conservation efforts. The Global Tree Assessment has been made possible over the past five years by a global network of over 60 institutional partners and over 500 experts.

Examining 58,497 tree species, it has revealed that 30% are threatened with extinction.

Read the press release and the report.

Cover photo Angophora costata © Maya Kataoka, Organic Photography

A collaboration between the IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group and the IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group, this cross-sectoral publication is a first effort to present evidence, offer effective solutions and make recommendations for reducing Asian elephant-transport conflicts.

New collaborative report by FAO, TRAFFIC, and the IUCN Species Survival Commission Medicinal Plant Specialist Group (MPSG) highlights the opportunities for sustainable trade of wild plant ingredients amid a surge in its global demand.

Read the news story and the report.

A new IUCN report by the Species Survival Commission finds that contact with and trade of domesticated animals and their products are by far the most frequent source of recurring human illness. While less evidence exists tracing zoonotic disease cases to direct interactions with wildlife, risks linked to poorly regulated trade remain a concern.

Access the news story and report.

Dawn Chorus, Vol 2, newsletter of the IUCN SSC Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group

Edentata 22, newsletter of the IUCN SSC Anteater, Sloth and Armadillo Specialist Group

Gajah 54, journal of the IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group

Shark News, IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group magazine, Issue 5 January 2022

Suiform Soundings, Issue 20 (1), newsletter of the IUCN SSC Wild Pig, Peccary and Hippo Specialist Groups

IUCN SULi Digest, March + April 2022, newsletter of the IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Group

IUCN SSC Vulture Specialist Group newsletter, No 16 – March 2022